Weather Basics
What word describes the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere?
weather
Which pressure system is linked to clear skies and calm weather?
High pressure systems
What name is given to winds that usually blow in the same direction in a region?
Prevailing winds
What type of cloud is thin, high, and made of ice crystals?
Cirrus clouds
Which instrument measures wind speed?
(Bonus: What unit is used to measure wind speed?)
Anemometer
km/hour, m/s
What term is used for the average weather of a place over a long period of time?
Climate
Which pressure system is more likely to bring clouds, wind, and rain?
Low pressure system (depressions)
What force causes winds to curve instead of moving in straight lines?
The Coriolis Effect
What type of rainfall forms when warm air rises after being heated by the ground?
Convectional rainfall
Which instrument shows wind direction?
Which layer of the atmosphere is where almost all weather happens?
Troposphere
What happens to air in a high-pressure system?
it sinks
Why does wind move from one place to another?
Differences in air pressure
What type of rainfall forms when warm air is forced over cold air?
Frontal rainfall
What instrument is used to measure air pressure?
Barometer
What energy from the Sun heats Earth and drives weather processes?
Insolation
What happens to air in a low-pressure system that leads to cloud formation?
Air rises and cools
What large-scale system moves air around the planet from the equator to the poles?
Global atmospheric circulation
How does relief rainfall begin when air meets a mountain?
Air is forced upwards, cools, and condenses
What unit is commonly used to describe cloud cover?
Okta
Why do coastal areas usually have milder temperatures than inland areas?
The ocean heats and cools more slowly than land
Why does rising air often result in rainfall?
Cooling air causes condensation and cloud formation
Why are winds generally stronger when pressure differences are large?
A greater pressure gradient creates stronger winds
Why is one side of a mountain often drier than the other?
(Bonus: (100 points) What are the leeward and windward sides?)
The rain shadow effect
Why are weather instruments kept inside a Stevenson Screen?
To protect them from direct sunlight and rain